A Drugs Strategy For Scotland SDF's Policy Officer, Austin Smith, reflects on a year in which Scotland changed its drug policy.
The Government’s new drug and alcohol treatment strategy Rights, Respect and Recovery was published in November. In preparing our submission to the Government, A Drugs Strategy For Scotland, SDF organised and hosted events in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow for members and other stakeholders. Encouragingly, these were well attended and delegates were keen to participate and to try to shape national strategy. It is obvious that concern focuses on the number of overdose and other drugrelated deaths and the extent and nature of other preventable harms. Over the last decade, there have been developments in insight and understanding, partly due to SDF’s work on issues affecting people with a drug problem who are over 35 years old. This work has defined not only the needs of this group of vulnerable people but also what works in terms of services engaging and supporting people. SDF’s strategy submission focussed on the evidence base and the disparity between where the evidence would take us and where Scotland presently finds itself. It is clear that there is some way to go if the insights offered by the evidence are to influence practice. SDF will continue to advocate for
treatment as a protective factor – high quality treatment that is accessible and meets clinical guidelines as a minimum standard. At times, that treatment may legitimately focus around helping keep people safe and reducing the harms from which they have to recover. At other times, that treatment may be enhanced with supports around physical and mental health and support around housing, social networks, meaningful employment and other matters. Both of these are crucial legitimate practicable and effective activities. Rights, Respect and Recovery insists upon a rights-based approach. It is up to services to assert, ensure and defend the rights of the people with whom they work, while also ensuring that people are empowered to assert and demand their rights. There is a clear role for advocacy and services should welcome it - as advocacy has a crucial role to play in improving service responses. This advocacy needs to be there for both individuals and collectively. In this regard, SDF’s model of peer research is hugely important in articulating the voices of the most marginalised. It also has a crucial role to play in measuring service improvements. SDF will continue to work on these areas and works with members and other stakeholders to develop significant cultural changes demanded by this agenda.
Download report: bit.ly/drugstrategyforscot
Download report: bit.ly/rightsrespectrecovery
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